At a time when the big name car companies of the world are needing government handouts to survive - a new " People's car " has been launched in India.
Tata Motors has launched it's two cylinder " Nano " model, a very " basic " car, but with a selling price of just under $ 3000 Australian dollars.
Owning a car is a sign of prestige for India's emerging " middle class " and this will replace the motor bike as the means of family transport. Tourists are astonished to see Indian families of four - and sometimes more - travelling about their cities on " two wheelers ".
Father is the bike rider with one of the kids on the petrol tank in front of him. His wife sits " side saddle " on the pillion - with another child sharing that seat.
It is a perilous form of transport on India's crowded streets and the aftermath of even a minor accident can be dire, but owning a motor bike is a sign of " arrival " for those enjoying the first reward of business success.
The arrival of a cheap, people's car in India will have repercussions for the world. We can expect a huge hike in demand for petrol - and consequently a surge in the price of oil.
India will suffer an increase in pollution as cars belch out more carbon and add to global warming, and with increased car traffic there will be a rise in road deaths.
The arrival of the Indian " Nano " model was an inevitability. Here in the west the car market has changed dramatically in recent years. South Korea astonished the car industry when Hyundai released it's top selling " Excel " - and for many people a new car became affordable for the first time.
It is now possible in Australia to buy a brand new car - with a five year warranty - for about $ 15,000. Not as cheap as the Nano - but well within the reach on the average Australian's finances.
It seems that the entire world is well on the way to achieving four wheel personal transportation !
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